The distance from Memphis to Oklahoma City by car is 466 miles, with a 6h48m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Memphis to Oklahoma City drive are Little Rock AR, Mount Magazine State Park and Fort Smith.
Planning a Memphis to Oklahoma City road trip itinerary
The Memphis to Oklahoma City drive takes you from Tennessee’s western edge to Oklahoma’s capital.
Five great things to do in Memphis
- 🎸 Enjoy a private luxury tour of Memphis – with Graceland tickets included.
- 🍖 Get a taste of Tennessee – on a Downtown Memphis food tour.
- 🛥️ Take a Memphis discovery tour – with Mississippi cruise and Sun Studio add-on options.
- 🏙️ Discover Memphis beyond Beale Street – on a historic walking tour.
- 🚗 Hop on a day tour to Tupelo – and see Elvis’ childhood home.
Memphis, Tennessee, is a pilgrimage site for Elvis fans. The King’s Graceland mansion is one of the top tourist sites in the US. But the cultural heritage extends beyond music, as you’ll discover on an African-American history tour.
Music fans should also try the Try the Rock and Soul Museum, plus the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
Ways of seeing the city include ghost walks, Downtown food tours and musical bus tours. There are also guided walks down music central, Beale Street, and city tours that take you inside the legendary Sun Studio.
Outdoors, Shelby Farms Park is one of America’s great urban parks and the Memphis Botanic Garden is expansive.
Great Oklahoma City experiences include craft beer tours by bike, indoor skydiving and art and architecture tours. It’s also worth visiting the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.
Memphis to Oklahoma City distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Memphis to Oklahoma City is 466 miles. That makes for a driving time of around six hours and 48 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-40.
The best stops to add to a Memphis to Oklahoma City road trip itinerary are Little Rock AR, Mount Magazine State Park and Fort Smith AR.
Best stops between Memphis and Oklahoma City: Little Rock AR
Little Rock is the capital of Arkansas, and the closest thing the state has to a metropolis.
Key experiences in Little Rock include the Museum of Discovery and the William J Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. The latter, as with most presidential libraries, acts as a fascinating insight not just into the president, but the era he was in charge for.
Memphis to Oklahoma City drive: Mount Magazine State Park
Mount Magazine State Park is much beloved by technical rock climbers. But even for non-climbers, the views around 2,753-ft Mount Magazine are pretty impressive.
Surrounded by the Ozark-St Francis National Forests, the park has become a big outdoor pursuits hotbed. Mountain biking, horseback riding and hang-gliding are among the options, as well as several hiking trails. The Lodge at Mount Magazine is a good option if you want to stay and play.
Memphis to Oklahoma City road trip attractions: Fort Smith AR
The Fort Smith National Historic Site is the key highlight of the Arkansas city that bears its name. The original fort was built in 1817 as a military post. It played a major part in the removal of Native American tribes from east of the Mississippi to new territories in the west. This Trail of Tears is a major part of the visitor centre, but there’s also plenty on ‘hanging judge’ Isaac Parker, who sentenced more than 160 people to death from the Fort Smith Courthouse.
Other Fort Smith attractions include Miss Laura’s Visitor Center – a former bordello that looks at the area’s more colourful Old West history. There’s also the US Marshals Museum, detailing the history of the US Marshals, and the Parrot Island Water Park.
More Memphis road trips
- Gettting to Memphis: Guides to the Nashville to Memphis road trip and Little Rock to Memphis drive.
- Road trips from Memphis: What to expect on the Memphis to Chattanooga drive.
